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"Even though I am aware he was barely holding on to the last thread of life, his orders were absolute. He cares for my lady and treats her life far more important than his."

Aries let out a faint, dry laugh. Those remarks Gustav uttered, especially the last one, left this indescribable pang in her heart. She was aware of that but hearing those words from another still hurt.

"With His Majesty\'s absence, there\'s only I who is capable of protecting you if someone took advantage of His Majesty\'s absence," he explained, keeping it short and simple. "Furthermore, that\'s the least I could do."

Silence followed Gustav\'s remarks, as neither of them talked for minutes. Aries kept her eyes on Dexter, rubbing his hand to keep them warm. Tears shone in her eyes, but the supply wasn\'t enough for her to bawl her eyes out.

"I… will become the Empress," she announced after another minute of total silence. "You had probably expected that, knowing Abel was already dead set to make us official and was tired of hiding our relationship."

Her eyelids drooped as she deadpanned. "That had been the plan and the initial reason. It was quite shallow if I am being honest, but I realized… the position of the empress wasn\'t just the emperor\'s wife and support system."

"The position… holds the power to mobilize an army, influence like no other, and a figure one could look up to or watch out for," she added in a soft voice. "I\'m going to take it, Gustav. I\'ll become an empress who holds the same power as the emperor and become someone one would be either admired or feared."

"My name… Daniella Circe Vandran… will be renowned across the world. I\'ll let everyone know the people I care about, and how merciless I could be if they touch even the tip of their hair with malice." Aries squeezed Dexter\'s hand again with a trembling hand, yet the fire in her eyes was not easily extinguished. She slowly set them at Gustav, showing her unbending resolve and determination.

"You had served my brother, the marquess, and until now upholds his will." She raised her chin. "He trusts you, but that doesn\'t mean I trust you just as much as he does. However, I want to give you the benefit of the doubt and give you an offer."

Her jaw tightened as her eyes glinted.

"Pledge your loyalty to me. Be my servant and forget about… your old master. Take my words and orders as absolute, and you\'ll be rewarded for your service." Dauntless, Aries looked at Gustav with unfaltering resolve. "I won\'t force you if you refuse and I\'ll leave you alone. However, I won\'t allow you to poke your nose into my affairs, nor will you be able to stop me from walking to hell with my own two feet."

Silence once again descended into the room, looking at each other without a pause. Gustav let out a shallow breath as he walked toward her, stopping at arm\'s length from her armchair. He gazed down at her, studying the fire underneath those clear emeralds.

To be truthful, Gustav should refuse her offer, as he wouldn\'t benefit from it. Aries was simply asking him to shift his loyalty to her and not to Dexter, to receive direct orders from her — even at the cost of his life — and to serve her without questions asked. Her offer was shameless and clearly unfair, but deep in his bones, he knew if he refused, Aries would do everything she could to stop his protection.

Aries was being serious about sabotaging him from doing what he promised the Marquess. At the end of the day, Gustav had to make a tough decision, because Aries had already decided on this path. No one could stop her anymore.

Gustav slowly went down on his one knee, raising a palm, and waited for her to put hers on it. Seeing his action, Aries carefully planted her hand on top of his palm, letting him carefully wrap his fingers around it.

"I am at your service, my Queen," he remarked, planting a kiss on her knuckles. "Use me at your disposal."

Aries didn\'t show the slightest satisfaction or repulsion at his gesture but kept her sharp features. She looked down at him, watching him raise his sincere eyes back to her.

"Whatever my queen needs, I shall execute them without questions asked. Your words will be absolute and your will will bear more importance than my own. My life will be in your hands and I will be at your mercy," Gustav remarked sincerely without looking away from her eyes. "Allow me to serve you until the end of time, my Queen."

Aries nodded, her chest heaved heavily. She slowly retrieved her hand but kept her unfaltering gaze on him.

"Forget about my brother\'s orders," she ordered, and Gustav hung his head low.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Aries clenched her teeth and looked away from him. She set her eyes back to Dexter to keep her resolution from waning. Being under everyone\'s protection was tiring because that means she had to be in this situation over and over again.

Aries didn\'t want to sit at the bedside while watching her loved one recover. The night of the coven and how powerless she felt had left a deep regret in her heart, and now this. Aries clutched the armrest tightly, telling herself this would be the last time.

She wasn\'t able to protect her family in Rikhill and her people, but she would definitely protect the new family — the people who accepted her and valued her regardless of her past. They gave her life and purpose, and she wanted to protect them at all costs, even if that meant becoming a more cruel and ruthless tyrant than the emperor.

"Investigate Princess Agnes and Lady Ivory, the last two official candidates for the empress," Aries gave Gustav his first mission, eyes glinting with malice. "And find out the situation of the east and south district... and anything that could be used against them. The bigger and darker it is, the better."

Gustav glanced up at her, only to see her sharp side profile.

"Your wish is my command, my Queen." He bowed, accepting her orders without questions asked. Whatever her reason for this, it didn\'t matter to Gustav anymore. Whether she was cooking something malicious or simply wanted to be informed, it was up to Aries what she would do with the information he would gather.

With that being said, Gustav excused himself to execute her orders with great discretion. As Aries was left alone inside the room, she kept her eyes on Dexter.

"This time…" she bent over and held his hand as she said a promise she would keep for a lifetime. "... I will be the one who will protect you, brother."